Page 74 - Research & Innovation Report 2020

EDUCATION

Indigenous knowledge in the

teacher education curriculum

Student teachers need to be exposed to a curriculum that includes indigenous knowledge in
order to develop into multiculturally conscious educators.

“If knowledge refers to how individuals and societies construct and Zodwa Motsa’s definition of the terms ‘indigenous knowledge’ and
interpret realities based on their lived experiences, histories, belief ‘indigenous knowledge systems’ to denote the knowledge that had
systems and ways of knowing, a new curriculum underpinned by been in existence in indigenous African societies before colonisers
multiple knowledges will have to be collectively constructed,” set foot in their communities.” (Prof Motsa is the Executive Director:
says Associate Professor Nokhanyo Mdzanga in the Faculty of Leadership and Transformation at UNISA.)
Education.
“My research calls for prescribed texts, pedagogies, language
She contributed a chapter about this in a book published by the usage and the academic theories, philosophies and values that
University of the Western Cape Press in 2021 titled Knowledge underpin the curriculum to recognise, in dialogue with other forms
beyond colour lines: Towards repurposing knowledge generation of knowledge, the importance of indigenous knowledge in teacher
in South African higher education. education preparation.”

Prof Mdzanga’s chapter is titled ‘Locating Indigenous Knowledge It’s a complex process, she explains, and teacher educators and
in a teacher education curriculum’. “In this chapter, I use Professor curriculum designers must be mindful of the complexities and

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